Around 2001, my wife and I had the pleasure of attending a concert to see the headlining band named Barenaked Ladies. Back in 1993, the Canadian-born Barenaked Ladies produced a hit song titled “If I Had a Million Dollars.” This song was iconic for several reasons. The lyrics made it sound like what an average median household income person might do if they suddenly … [Read more...]
Facts? Ugh, figures
Facts. Anyone else getting sick of that word? Alternative ones, fake ones, real ones, their relation to feelings... What the heck even is a “fact” anyway? If I remember Mr. Hines’ Science class correctly, it’s something that can be observed and agreed upon, but boy howdy is that not enough anymore. Don’t believe me? Keep reading. We’ll start with an easy one: the sky is blue. … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… “If you can’t say something nice, then…”
Please raise your hand if you are sick and tired of all of the political ads; especially the negative ones! “If you can’t say something nice, then don’t say anything at all” apparently doesn’t apply to elections. Back to back political commercials flood the morning TV news channels. Our mailboxes are heaping with piles of direct mail that fill our recycling bins. And, most … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project Preparing for the future
By Amara Nelson Senior year is an intimidating time of a young person’s life. You are just starting to figure out what you really want to do with your life. Some people choose to go into the military or straight to work after high school, and others go to college. Whichever way you choose to go, it is intimidating to say the least. Most of us high schoolers have only been … [Read more...]
Moving the needle in Southern Minnesota
Autumn is one of my favorite times of year – not just because of the beautiful colors, but because it means it’s time for our Annual Luncheon. At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), this luncheon is an opportunity for more than 200 of our partners to come together from across our 20-county region to share successes and look to the future. At this year’s luncheon … [Read more...]
Don’t be fooled by those who assert themselves as experts
By Kindra Ramaker Stewartville, MN Fillmore County Journal Readers – as both a member of the Fillmore County discussion group addressing “Conversations on Race in Fillmore County” as well as being informed by my work on the Olmsted County Human Rights Commission - I would like to address an opinion piece published in the Fillmore County Journal written by Jeff Erding, a long … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… Am I a left-wing conservative or a right-wing liberal?
“I was very unhappy to see half the front page of Fillmore Journal dedicated to a Trump supporter. I believe that rally was adequately followed in Rochester newspapers and television. It’s obvious to me where this newspaper leans. So disappointed in my hometown newspaper,” said a reader from Lanesboro, Minn., in an e-mail to me on Monday, October 22, 2018. This was in … [Read more...]
Letter about – real news and fake news… To the Editor,
Thanks to Colonel Stan Gudmundson for his September 24 commentary clarifying how Trump supporters do and should view journalism. In her book, The Trump Card: Playing to Win in Work and Life, Ivanka Trump writes “Perception is more important than reality. If someone perceives something to be true, it is more important than if it is in fact true. This doesn’t mean you should be … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project – Asexuality Awareness
By Leah Himlie It is estimated that 1-2% of the human population has red hair. The same percentage is estimated for the number of people who have green eyes, and lastly, the same percentage is estimated for the number of people who identify as asexual. Despite the first two statistics being perceived as valid, true statements, many people invalidate or are ignorant of … [Read more...]
Journal Writing Project — The silent pandemic
By Pailey Gordon All over the news, we hear about politics, war, celebrity drama, natural disasters, and sometimes we even receive a happy story about how a child overcame some sort of challenge he was facing. Rarely do we see news on a concerning pandemic that is developing more and more every day: human trafficking. Human trafficking is the action or practice of illegally … [Read more...]